Hunter and Vampire Volume 16: Gathering
by jacques0
Summary: The table is set...the pieces have started moving...and the change will come, a change either good or bad. Only time will tell?
1. escape

**Hey guys, here is the new Volume of this series. Sorry for the long wait. had no internet.**

**Enjoy and review**

HUNTER AND VAMPIRE

VOLUME 16

GATHERING

_Previously on Hunter and Vampire_

_Hot on the trail set up by Gendo, Lilly head straight into a remote place which turned out to be SEELE's main Headquarters. There, the Vampire found Rei's scent but is confronted by a powerful enemy called Ramiel. Meanwhile, Rei met Lilith in her subconscious revealing to be the previous owner of the Ying Yan Sword. She warned Rei of SEELE and freeing the Vampire from her Vamridic induced coma. But as Rei joined the fight with Lilly, the sun started to rise…and Lilly, since losing her Charmed Object…faces mortal danger…_

Chapter Sixty-Two

Escape

Lilly knew what happens to non-pureblood vampires under the sunlight, vampires who doesn't wear a Charmed Object from a Pureblood. In the long years she had spent wondering the world, she had seeing it happens.

She never believed that it would be also her fate.

She always believed that she would die fighting alongside Rei and protecting the Pureblood's back.

Her body felt like it was on fire when the sunlight reached her, and she had never felt something so painful in her life before. She couldn't stop the scream that sprung from her lips…she didn't even feel the hug Rei had given her.

"Hang on Lilly," she yelled.

She felt something enveloping her form…as the sunlight simply disappeared and a void of darkness had enveloped both Rei and her.

"Rei…what's…_what's happening_?" she asked.

"I…I don't know, just hang on," Rei told her.

They seems to be floating through the dark void which was suddenly opened again and the two fell down upon the ground causing Lilly to hiss softly with her weakened body. Rei stood up glancing around the place they had landed, so did Lilly thought she stayed seated upon the ground.

"W…Where are we?"

Rei didn't say anything, her eyes looking around the place they were in.

"This…This is…"

Lilly looked at the Pureblood in confusion.

"What?"

"_The Silver Crystal Cave," _Rei whispered.

Lilly was confused.

"H…How did we get here?"

Rei shook her head.

"I don't know."

* * *

Ramiel stared at the spot the two Vampires had disappeared from. He couldn't believe his eyes at what just happened.

"I didn't think she would be wielding _that _blade," the long haired man said.

"What do you mean?" Ramiel asked him, confused a little.

"That Vampire is in possession of an Angel Tear," the long haired man told him.

Ramiel frowned. He had seen the blade the Vampire Rei Ayanami was holding.

"She may have the blade," he said, "But what she had just done…_it's the same as Lilith's_."

"_Why_ have you uttered that name Ramiel?"

He turned at the voice, and quickly put himself in a kneeling position.

"My Queen," he said, "I…I wasn't aware that you will be about soon…"

"A disturbance have awoken me from my sleep," The Queen said, her voice oddly soft, "But you uttered Lilith's name…_why_?"

"The Vampire Rei Ayanami used a signature technique that belongs to Lilith," Ramiel said.

"So, _that_'s what the disturbance I've felt," The Queen said slowly, "But never the less, Rei Ayanami is only _one _Vampire. She wouldn't be able to stop our plan from coming into fruition."

"We would need all Nine Angel's Tears to be able to complete the plan's final's stages."

The Queen smiled a little.

"We would," she said, "But we will take care of the problem then. We have a new task to complete."

Her attention was drawn toward the rising sun.

"Make all the necessary preparation Ramiel," she said, "We move out soon."

"Yes My Queen," the large man said, bowing.

* * *

The two Vampires were walking through the dark cave. Rei had no idea how they got here, but they have to find a way out soon. She knew that the Cave existed outside of Japan and far away from where they had faced those SEELE guys.

She couldn't figure anything out of what ha d just happened but one thing was sure. Lilith had done something to her, what it could be she had no idea.

"Lilly, what happened to Asuka while I was gone?" she asked.

"Well, your mate was strong enough to defeat one of the SEELE guys."

Rei glanced at her shocked. Asuka had done _what_?

Seeing the shocked look upon Rei's face, Lilly continued.

"It had happened a couple of days ago," she told her, "Misato told me about it…they were some bruises but the Hunters came out fine."

Rei frowned. She is going to have to return to Japan.

"But Rei, how did you get captured?" Lilly asked her.

The pureblood growled.

"The mission Gendo had send me to had been a trap," she said.

"Gendo? Your Human friend?" Lilly repeated.

"Yes, he betrayed me," Rei said, "And he is about to get an earful from me."

"Then…why would he help me?"

Rei glanced at her long time friend, confusion in her red eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Rei, Gendo tracked you down because of your cell phone," Lilly told her, "That's how I was able to get to that place."

Rei looked straight at the blonde.

"Lilly, I didn't have my phone with me when I got captured," she said, "I had left it in my car."

A shocked look crossed the blonde's face, her eyes showing exactly what Rei was thinking.

She had been tricked.

_Gendo got a lot of things to answer to, _she thought.

Then they got to an opening.

"Whoa," Lilly said.

It was a large opening with sunlight coming through the giant circle at the top of it and they can see patch of the sky there. A small field of flowers had grown thanks to the opening from above them, the wind blowing through them.

In the field of flowers, nine stone crosses stood in a straight line, similar to a grave of some kind.

"Stay in the shade Lilly," Rei told the blonde.

"Okay,"

The blue haired vampire approached the crosses until she was standing right in front of them. Her eyes read the name that was written upon it.

_Silverstone-Guardian_

She looked at each of the cross, finding a different name for each and as she reached the last one on the far left, her eyes widen.

_Lilith-Guardian_

_It's…It's her, _Rei thought, thinking about the woman she had met in her subconscious, _It have to be the same woman. This must be her grave…but why would she be buried here in the Silver Crystal Cave?_

"It's been a long time since a Vampire set foot in this place,"

A long haired man was standing on the top of the large opening above them. He was dressed sharply, but his eyes were bright silver, which shone even more in the morning sunlight.

"Who…Who are you?" Lilly yelled.

The man's eyes found Lilly in the shades and they widened in surprise.

"Elizabeth…it had been a _long _time since our last meeting," he said.

Rei glanced at Lilly's shocked face.

_Lilly knows this man. Just who is he?_

"Who…Who are you?"

**A mysterious stranger who knows Lilly? Who could he be?**

**Jacques0 out.**

**R&R.**


	2. old allies

**Here is the next chapter enjoy**

**R&R.**

Chapter Sixty-three

Old allies

Lilly stared at the man in shock. She had never seen that person before in her life…though the bright silver eyes seemed familiar….

"As Lilly had put it," Rei said, "Who are you?"

The man smiled a little.

"It is no surprise you don't recognize me," he said, "I sometimes forgot I change forms to blend in with the world."

Then his features started to change as his hair turned a honey brown and his face turned feminine. In seconds, a woman was standing in front of them, her clothes similar to robes. Lilly can feel her shock increasing. She recognized the woman now.

"It's_ you_," she said.

Rei was confused.

"What…do you know her?"

The woman smiled.

"I forget that in the past, I usually travel in this form. Like that, I will draw less attention from unwanted peers."

She dropped down beside the tombstones. Rei's hand instantly summons her black sword.

"I'm not your enemy Rei Ayanami," she said, giving the vampire a glance.

Rei didn't lower her sword.

"Lilly?" she asked, without turning to the blonde.

"She is not an enemy," the blonde said, "She helped me before."

Rei gives her a searching glance.

"When was that?"

"Back when I was Elizabeth," Lilly told her.

Rei lowered her sword at this, turning back toward the mysterious woman.

"What are you?" she asked, "There is no human that can do this…nor did I felt any magic."

"I'm the only one capable of shifting my appearance at will," the woman said, "But I'm saddened to say I'm not the only one of my kind."

That caused some confusion.

"Your kind? You mean there are more of you?"

"That's correct Ayanami," the woman said, "You have just faced two of them before you teleported here."

Rei blinked remembering the two she had seen.

"We are called Paths," the woman continued, "We are the Original Race created by the Nine Guardians…but that was before they were all killed. Now my purpose is to travel the world, looking for the successor destined to wield the Artifacts you call Angel Tears."

Rei digested all of this.

"So that's how we were able to leave," she said, "We teleported."

"Exactly," the woman said.

Lilly who was still standing in the shadows frowned.

"So you have a name?"

"Mirror," she said.

Rei raised an eyebrow.

"That's a strange name."

"I have no image of my own," Mirror told them, "I can only reflect the image of others. Even this form you see before you is the image of a woman of long ago. My name is fitting enough of what I do."

"Oh," Lilly said, "So you're immortal."

Mirror smiled.

"I can be killed just like any other Humans," Mirror told her, "The same, however, can't be said for the Other Paths."

Rei narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"The others are all given abilities far beyond what I can do," Mirror told her, "If you faced any of them right now, you will all be killed."

"No shit," Lilly said, "Now you tell me."

Mirror looked at her.

"I didn't assume anyone would be foolish enough to attack their HQ head on," she said, an amusing smile upon her lips.

Lilly narrowed her red eyes at her.

"You didn't have to rub it in." she said.

Mirror's smirk widened.

"Who is their leader?" Rei asked, "Powerful peoples don't allies themselves without a leader."

Mirror glanced at her.

"You are right," she said, "but I don't have any name for their Leader. They all called her The Queen. She is powerful than all of them, probably even more so. She is not an enemy to be taken lightly."

Rei frowned. That Queen sounded a little too much like Vlad Drakul to her to be able to control powerful forces.

"Those guys are after the Angel Tear," she said, "meaning Asuka is a target and so am I and anyone who is in possession of these Artifacts. I'm going to help her fight them."

"Your Angel tear will have to be complete," Mirror said, "You only have half of it's power. If you want to take the other Paths on it will have to be complete."

"I'll manage," Rei said.

Mirror smiled and approached the blonde. Her hand started to glow as she put it upon Lilly's stomach.

"W…What are you doing?"

"I'm setting up a seal," Mirror said, "For as long as I am alive, it will be active protecting you from the sun. Think of it as a thank-you for that night many years ago."

If she could, Lilly would have blushed. Rei looked from one to another in confusion.

"Good luck," she told them, "and if you want to use your teleportation, thinks of where you want to go and with that solid image in your head…will yourself to go."

The two vampires then watched her walk back toward the graves and simply stood there with her head bowed.

"C'mon, let's go back to Japan already," Rei said, taking hold of Lilly's hand.

Then the image of Asuka popped into her mind as the darkness swallowed them both.

* * *

Plack, Plack, Plack.

The two fighters were going at it in the middle of the empty gym. They were matching each other's speed as punches and kicks go flying. Then one of the fighters did a sudden tackle taking the other down.

"Damn," the one on the ground said.

"You're getting better Asuka," Misato said.

Asuka sighed, wiping sweat off her brow, and then she stood back up.

"Still can't beat Hikari," she said.

"I've been doing this my entire life," Hikari told her, "You've recently started."

"Well, I could keep up with your speed didn't I?"

Hikari smirked.

"I've got to hand it to you," she said, "You may not be strong but your body used speed to make it up."

"Well, those SEELE guys aren't going to wait for me to get better," she said.

"I can only help you in what I know," Hikari told her, "We Hunter never used supernatural arts."

"I know," the redhead said, thinking about Rei again.

Then as if summoned a large black hole appeared on the side of the gym, putting all of the three Hunters on their guards, thinking it was SEELE. Then, both Lilly and Rei stepped out as the hole closed up behind them.

"It's you vampires," Hikari said, relaxing a little.

Lilly smirked.

"Well, it's nice to see you too," she said, "Glad to see you out of the hospital Misato."

"Couldn't keep me even if they tried," Misato grinned at her.

Asuka's eyes found Rei who smiled at her. Then the redhead walked forward…

"Hey Asu…,"

_WHAM!_

She punched Rei right in the face, taking the latter by surprise since she hadn't see this coming .The group around them looked at them in surprise.

"Asuka…What was that…?" Rei snarled, angrily.

But before she could finish, Asuka had engulfed her into a hug, causing the vampire to freeze. Then, she returned the hug, taking in the redhead's scent. She had missed her.

A noise at the door, caused them to spring apart, drawing everyone's attention as Shinji Ikari stood there carrying a pack of drinks.

"Misato I've got the drinks…er…what is going on?"

**can anyone say...awkward?**

**R&R**


	3. enemy of my enemy

**Chapter 3 everybody enjoy**

Chapter Sixty Four

Enemy of my enemy

"Thanks for the drinks," Misato said, removing the strange awkward air that had settled in.

Rei was surprised seeing Shinji there.

"Where have you been," Asuka asked, causing Rei to focus back upon her.

"Not yet" Rei told her, "Shinji's here."

Asuka give the boy a glance.

"He knows."

Rei was shocked.

"About _me_?"

"Didn't tell him about that," Asuka told her, "Thought Hikari might have hinted at it, but what I was saying is that he knows about me being a Hunter."

"How did that happen?" Rei asked.

"SEELE," Asuka said, "They had possessed him so that they could get to me. Some memories of the guy who did it where left over in his head."

"And he stuck around?"

Asuka gives her a smile.

"He wanted to protect me,"

Rei give a growl, causing Lilly to glance her way, flashing a knowing smirk. The vampire reeled in her instinct to fight for her mate, not wanting to murder Shinji Ikari right here in the room.

"With what's coming," she said darkly, "It won't be enough."

Asuka's confusion was visible upon her face.

"What is it Rei? What' going on?"

"I've got to talk to Misato and Hikari about it," she said, patting on Asuka's shoulder, "C'mon."

The two approached the rest of the group.

"What were you guys whispering about over there?" Misato asked.

"I've got some news about SEELE," Rei told her, "Not all of them good."

"SEELE?" Shinji repeated sounding confused.

"I'll tell you later," Asuka told him.

He nodded in understanding.

"What are they up to?" Hikari asked, frowning.

"Well, since they've captured me before," Rei said, "They might be looking for a location I have been before."

"A location?" Misato asked, "What for?"

Rei shook her head.

"I don't really know," she said, "But they're planning something big. Since they've attacked Asuka, it's safe to say they are after everyone who possesses an Angel's Tear."

"What would happen if they get them all?" Asuka asked.

Rei gives her a glance.

"You've seen what would happen if they did."

Asuka stared at the vampire, confused for a minute before it dawned on her.

"The visions," she whispered.

"Exactly."

"What a minute, what are you two talking about?" Lilly asked, "What visions?"

"When Asuka first gotten the lance back in Rome," Rei said, "It left her with some visions. I didn't think too much about it…"

"How come I haven't heard of it?" Misato asked.

"I didn't want to worry you," Asuka told her, "We have already a lot of problems to deal with than that, and it wasn't that important back then."

At that Misato's phone started to ring and the woman pulled it out, glancing at the caller I.D. Letting out a sigh, she stood up from her seat.

"What's wrong?" Lilly asked.

"An old friend," Misato told her, "I'll be right back."

She walked out of the gym.

"What were you doing before we arrived anyway?" Rei asked, turning toward the redhead.

"Training," Asuka told her, "That SEELE guy caught us by surprise and we were almost killed. If they are going to come after me, I want to be ready."

"You're going to have to," Lilly said, "Those guys are immensely strong and they have almost killed me."

Hikari suddenly smirked.

"Maybe you two can help with training."

Rei gives her a glance, raising an eyebrow while Lilly looked at her in disbelief.

"You want our help?" she said, "I thought Hunters doesn't like us."

Hikari sighed.

"Look, I know we had our differences in the past," she said.

"That's an understatement," Lilly butted in.

Hikari's eyes found the vampires.

"IF those SEELE guys are as powerful to take you in a fight, then you know they are dangerous," she said, "I'm putting the old feud aside for now, because there is no way either of us can take them alone."

"You want us to lower our guards around you so that you can stab us in the back?" Lilly growled.

"I'm not asking you to," Hikari told her, "Just lent us your strength. SEELE can use supernatural powers and we can't except for Asuka who can barely use it in a fight."

"Hey," Asuka yelled, "I was the one who defeated Bardiel."

"When it was almost too late," Hikari said glancing at the girl.

"I can teach her," Rei said, "I'm talented at it."

Asuka looked at her, surprise showing in her features.

"But you use Black Magic," Lilly said.

A small smirk worked its way upon Rei's lips.

"Magic is magic," she said, "whether its black or white."

"You can use magic?" Shinji said, breaking his silence, "How?"

"The Angel Tear I carries grant me powers," Rei told him.

"So the person who has an Angel Tear can use magic?"

Rei gives him a nod.

The door of the gym opened and Misato stepped back in. Rei instantly knew that something was amiss…

"Misato, is everything alright?" she asked.

The woman looked up toward them, her face deathly pale, her eyes wide in shock.

"The Monastery…has fallen,"

* * *

Hikari felt numb at this. _The Monastery had fallen_? Impossible…

"That's impossible," she whispered.

Asuka's shocked face was visible and even the vampires looked surprised at the news. The boy, Shinji Ikari stayed silent thought he couldn't hide his surprise. Just a few days ago, she had told him that it was impossible…

"How did it happen?"

"Kaji doesn't know," Misato said, "He has simply headed there since Ritsuko had summoned him for a meeting…all he found what destruction. Ritsuko seems to be the only survivor."

A total silence reigned upon the room.

"Who or what could have done this?" Shinji asked.

"SEELE," Rei spoke, "It must have been them."

Hikari gives her a hard glare.

"Why not your Vampire friends?" she growled.

Shinji took a sharp intake of breath at that.

"The Vampires are scattered ever since the end of the War," Rei told her, "They are only a few pureblood that remains…so they cannot lead an Army that would have been strong enough to destroy the Monastery. Even so, it would have been impossible since they didn't even know where it is."

"If it is SEELE," Asuka said, "Why would they wipe out the Hunters?"

"Taking out the Human's shields," Lilly said, "Like that, Humanity will be vulnerable at what's to come."

"Exactly," Rei said, "Take out the shield…leaves everyone on Earth vulnerable."

Hikari clenched her fists in anger.

"This situation just got…worse," Misato said.

"And it's not going to get any better," Rei said.

The entire group looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because I think I figured out SEELE's next target," the blue haired vampire said, "I think I know why they have captured me in the first place."

**Rei had figured out SEELE`s next target?**

**What could SEELE be planning?**

**R&R.**


	4. Exodus

**last chap of this volume enjoy**

Chapter sixty Five

Exodus

The blonde woman walked straight into the office of Father Troy. The elderly man looks up at her entrance.

"Ritsuko," he said, "I am glad that you have come."

"It sounded urgent," Ritsuko told him.

"It is," Father Troy told her, "I`m afraid things aren`t going to get any better."

The blonde frowned.

"What is going on exactly?"

The man looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Father Louis had been found dead," he said.

That caused the woman to freeze where she sat. Her eyes went wide with shock.

"Dead? How? When?"

"They found him in a train in Japan," Father Troy said to her, "They said it was probably suicide since they had found the weapon that killed him in his hand."

"You don`t think it was suicide?" Ritsuko asked him.

"I have known father Louis long enough to know the man won`t commit suicide," Father Troy said, "No, something more sinister is at play here, something…unnatural."

"Vampires?"

"If it was a Vampire, Louis would have won," he said, "His death wouldn`t be as such anyway. Vampires tortures before they kill and they were no marks upon his body."

Ritsuko looked confused.

"If it`s not Vampires our enemies," she asked, "Then what?"

"Probably an enemy we haven`t encountered before," Father Louis said.

Then they were an explosion, as the sound of a loud crashing noise as if something was thrown backward. Ritsuko made her way toward the window, noticing that the Gates of the Monastery had been blown backward.

"I`m going to see what`s going on," she said , "Get to a safe location as quickly as possible Father Troy."

The man looked grave at the situation but he gave a nod.

Ritsuko quickly ran toward the Armory to get a weapon thought it was only supposed to work on Vampires.

_Well it won`t matter, _she thought, _Something is attacking our home and we are going to defend it with all we got._

When she reached the Entrance, the Hunters were already in positions with their weapons aimed toward where the gates had been.

Then a lone figure appeared, one who was wearing a coat upon his body and his face was hidden behind a white mask. It had the design of a upside down triangle and many eyes were drawn along the line.

"Contact," one of the Hunters yelled.

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes, Hunter`s Sight activating.

_That`s not a Vampire, _she thought, _It`s almost human…but something is strange._

From behind the figure tow large blast aimed straight toward the tower behind them exploding it into pieces. At that, the masked figure launched forward and started to tear through their group at a speed that was greater than a Vampire and even the bullets weren`t slowing him down.

"Kill him," Ritsuko yelled, "Kill him."

Her orders feel on death ears as an explosion tore the place where she was standing. Ritsuko feel the world go oddly mute with a high ringing noise in her head…or was she floating?

She hardly had anytime to think before she blacked out.

* * *

The blonde opened her eyes. Blinking, she glanced around the room she was in. It was quite ordinary, thought Ritsuko had no idea on how she had gotten there in the first place.

"Rits, you`re awake,"

A familiar man appeared in the doorway, holding a piece of towel.

"K…Kaji?"

"The one and only," he said.

"W…What are you doing here?" Ritsuko asked him.

"Taking care of you," he said, "Thought you look a lot better than when I found you."

Ritsuko slowly seated up, feeling pain shoot through her. She glanced down noticing the bandages.

"Found a lead pipe running straight through you," Kaji told her, "A miracle you`re still alive considering how much blood you lost."

"Guess I can consider myself lucky," Ritsuko said, "How long was I out?"

"A couple of days," Kaji told her.

The blond was in thoughts for a moment.

"The Monastery?"

"A ruins," Kaji told her, "I didn`t find any other survivors…apart from you."

Ritsuko tightened her fist. All of those peoples…dead.

"What had happened Rits?"

"An attack," she said, "We…We weren`t prepared to deal with such an enemy. He took us down like our weapons weren`t even there."

"Vampire?" Kaji asked.

The blonde chuckled darkly.

"We were trained to take Vampire on," Ritsuko told him, "What we fought…was nothing but. Something about it was almost human in a way."

"But no human could have done what I saw," Kaji told her.

"I know it wasn`t Human," Ritsuko told him, "It…whatever it was, it was definitely stronger than a Vampire."

Kaji frowned seemingly doing some thinking.

"I have already contacted Misato about the situation," he said, "It seems the situation will only get worse from here on out."

Ritsuko nodded. That`s just what she was thinking.

* * *

"What do you mean you`ve figured it out?" Lilly asked the Pureblood.

"Think for a second Lilly," Rei told her, "For what reason they will capture me, a Pureblood and search my mind? They will look for something a Pureblood vampire will know."

The blonde vampire frowned to herself thinking before it started to make sense.

"_No way_…," she whispered.

"okay what is it?" Hikari asked.

"SEELE was looking for the location of Vamperium Castle," Rei told them.

"The Vampire`s Stronghold?" Misato repeated, "Can`t they get the knowledge from any Vampire?"

Rei shook her head.

"It`s a Vampire rule," she said, "Only purebloods are allowed to know Vamperium`s location. The Castle itself is hidden by spells and other dark magic. You`ll never find it…unless you already know it`s there."

"From your memories…they will know exactly where to look," Misato said.

"So they move from the Hunters to the Vampires?" Shinji said, sounding confused, "What are they looking for?"

"Your guess is as good as mine Shinji Ikari," Rei said.

"But Vampires are strong aren`t they?" Asuka asked.

"Vamperium is nothing but a shell of what it once was," Rei told her, "With so few purebloods left…it`s nothing but a graveyard of dark memories."

* * *

Somewhere in a forest, a single figure was walking through it with one hand raised…as if feeling for a presence. Then the figure came to a stop, keeping her hand in the air for a few seconds before lowering her hand.

"There is the Entrance," she said.

"Well done Arael," The Queen spoke, her black cloak flowing in the behind her as she walked forward, "You have done a splendid job finding that Entrance…all thanks to Rei Ayanami."

A couple of figures appeared beside the Queen as lightning flashed, showing their face briefly as their golden eyes shone in the darkness.

"Vamperium, the creation of Vlad Drakul," the Queen said, her eyes taking a strong glow, "You won`t hide in the shadows no longer, forgotten past of history."

**To be continued in Volume 17**

**SEELE has found Vamperium, What carnage will be unleashed?**

**AN: I`ve been wanting to update this Volume since last month but with no internet, it wasn`t possible. Well, hope that was enjoying for you readers and fan of this series.**

**Jacques0 **

**R&R.**


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